The Bil-Jac Difference

Have you looked at a bag of dog food lately? If so, you've probably noticed a list of ingredients. This list shows the ingredients in the dog food in descending order by weight (before the food is made).  At Bil-Jac, we’re proud of how much fresh chicken goes into our recipes.  That’s why we don’t just stop there, we also list how much fresh chicken was used to make our dry dog food.  For example, we use 25 lbs. of fresh chicken to make a 30 lb bag of Bil-Jac Adult Select.

Another detail you might not find on the packaging is how your dry dog food was cooked.  The process used to create most dry dog foods is called “extrusion.”  The extrusion process is common for commercial dog foods because it is an efficient for producing massive quantities of product. However, extrusion may not be the best way to food for your dog.

The Extrusion Process: High Temperatures, High Pressure 

To make extruded dog food, a company mixes the wet and dry ingredients together to form a dough. Water is often added to the dough and the mixture is heated to a very high temperature. This softens the mixture so it can pass through the machine. It's then forced out (extruded) through specifically-shaped holes and cut into smaller pieces. The high temperatures and high pressure used in this process can damage critical nutrients in the food.  At Bil-Jac, we have been making dog food for over 70 years and we have never used the extrusion process to make our dry dog food.

Bil-Jac: Slow Cooked

Nutritional excellence is the foundation for every decision we make at Bil-Jac. We promise that each and every one of our products delivers the nutritional needs of your dog, first and foremost. Our dry dog food recipe begins with high-quality chicken and chicken organ meat that we source fresh daily. Because nutritional excellence drives every decision we make at Bil-Jac, we knew we had to develop a better, more gentle way to make the best dry dog food we could.  We gently cook and air-dry our high-quality ingredients at a controlled temperature.

Helps Protect Heat Sensitive Nutrients

By slow cooking, instead of extruding, we help protect the nutrients your dog needs every day to be healthy.  These important nutrients include essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that help support your dog’s immune system and overall vitality.

Use More Fresh Meat

As an example, we use a lot of fresh chicken—5 lbs of chicken to make a 6 lb bag of Small Breed Adult. We couldn’t use this much fresh chicken to make Bil-Jac Dry Dog Food if we processed food like so many dry dog food manufacturers do.

Never Any Fillers, Protein Concentrates, or Added Fat

Some foods will use these ingredients, like corn gluten meal, to boost protein content. Or, with extruded dry foods, the fat is often sprayed on at the end to add taste and flavor. At Bil-Jac, we know great taste should be cooked in, not sprayed on.

How dog food is cooked can impact the taste and nutritional value of the food, something that is not mentioned on the bag. Do you know how your dog food is made?

When is it Time to Try New Dog Food?

If your furry best friend is showing any of these signs, it might be time to try a new dog food:

• Picking at their food, not enjoying the taste
• Dull, flaky coat
• Weakness or lack of energy
• Overweight (can’t feel your dog’s ribs easily)
• GI disturbances (flatulence, loose stool, rumbly stomachs)
• Itching

We know your dog will choose Bil-Jac if given a chance. If you’re thinking about switching foods, we invite you to take the two bowl challenge. Just place a bowl with a little bit of your dog’s regular food beside a bowl with a little bit of any Bil-Jac Dry Dog Food and see which bowl gets emptied first.

Bil-Jac Dry Dog Food is made by our family, for yours. That's a commitment to you and to your dogs that we have taken very seriously, for over 70 years.